


Thanks to Girda

by cleo4u2



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: All thanks to a literal snake, Alternate Universe - High School, Animal abuse not caused by any characters, Fluff, Getting Together, Holding Hands, M/M, Repairing Relationships, snake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 08:44:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11756211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleo4u2/pseuds/cleo4u2
Summary: Steve and Bucky haven't spoke since Steve came out of the closet. Now Steve has to get the AP biology snake to the vet and Bucky Barnes, his former best friend and the football quarter back has snuck onto his bus. Clearly the day is not going to go well.





	Thanks to Girda

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the one and only Glow Cloud, [NurseDarry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NurseDarry/profile). ALL HAIL.

Working title: Snake Out of the Bag

It wasn’t every day Steve Rogers had to sneak an angry python onto the school bus. In fact, this was the first time. The first time, and hopefully the last, that he had to smuggle a vengeful serpent onto public transportation because some asshole had thought it was funny to burn the eight-foot constrictor with their cigarette. Girda – because their science teacher thought he was funny – needed to see a vet, A.S.A.P. for a Band Aid and some antibiotics. A task that should have fallen to his science teacher, but he was busy hosting the Queer-Straight Alliance in his classroom. Steve, being vice president of the club, had volunteered to take the snake to the vet so they didn’t have to cancel.

That’s how he ended up with a writhing shopping bag by his feet, full of righteous snake fury, and sitting next to the hottest guy in school. Bucky Barnes was the school’s golden child. Tall, dark eyed, dark hair, with broad shoulders, gorgeous cheekbones, and an honest-to-god cleft in his chin. On top of his good looks, Bucky was captain of the football team, quarterback, and choreographer of the Dance Club. They performed at school assemblies, with most of the football team participating along with the cheerleaders and the actual dance team. It was amazing to watch them dance, moving in ways Steve hadn’t ever thought possible, let alone could do on his own. He’d be lucky not to trip over his own two feet.

To no one’s surprise, half the school had a crush on Bucky Barnes. Once, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see him sitting next to Steve, either. That was before football, before middle school, back when Bucky was Steve’s neighbor. Back before Steve’s dad had died and his mom had moved them across town to an apartment they could afford on a security guard’s salary. They weren’t technically ex-best friends. They had just…grown apart. Promises to spend every weekend together had been impossible between Bucky’s dance classes, then sports activities, and Steve’s mom needing to sleep most days since a single mom working the night and double shifts to make ends meet couldn’t be disturbed to take him on play dates. Soon they’d started to sit with different people at lunch, then stopped doing more than saying 'hi' as they passed each other between classes.

Steve, who had been tiny before puberty, had been largely overlooked in middle and high school. He had his clubs and his friends, but he wasn’t the golden child Bucky had become, oblivious to the crushes of most kids, but also Steve’s. Now he was sitting next to Steve on the bus like they were still ten years old. Just plopping down, swinging his backpack into his lap, and grinning at Steve with that gorgeous mouth of his while completely unconcerned about the rage-fueled animal between Steve’s feet.

“Heya, Stevie,” Bucky drawled. Puberty had been so kind to Bucky, giving him a low, velvet voice that did horrible things to Steve’s overactive libido. He was abruptly grateful for his own backpack over his lap, though the only other option had been on top of Girda, and the snake was angry enough.

“This isn’t your bus,” Steve blurted and internally winced. Smooth, Rogers.

“And you’re usually at that club of yours,” Bucky pointed out with a shrug. “How would you know what I do on Wednesdays, anyway?”

Because everyone knows what you do, all the time, Steve thought. You’re all anyone ever talks about because you’re so goddamned hot. Instead of saying it, though, he just gave Bucky a long look he hoped would convey his opinion on the level of stupid that question had earned. It must have worked, because Bucky laughed and Steve felt his stomach churn with butterflies.

“So?” Bucky prompted. “Why aren’t you at that club of yours?”

“I’m, um.” Steve floundered, uncertain of how wise it was to admit he had an eight foot long snake on the bus. Inducing a panic wasn’t what he wanted to be known for in high school. “There’s an emergency, so…”

Bucky’s beautiful face creased with worry.

“An emergency? Is your mom okay?”

“She’s fine,” Steve quickly assured, shifting on the seat as Bucky’s warmth radiated against his side. He was irrationally certain that if they touched, Bucky would somehow figure out how badly Steve was crushing on him. “It’s a, um, science-slash-club emergency.” Bucky’s eyebrows creased in confusion and Steve waved his hands in the air. “Look, never mind, I’ve got it handled. Why aren’t you sitting with your friends?”

Bucky glanced toward the back of the bus where several cheerleaders and football players had congregated. When he looked back, Steve realized their eyes were on the same level. The growth spurt he’d had between junior and senior year had made him _taller_ than Bucky Barnes. What was life coming to? He’d been a head and shoulders shorter.

“I thought we were friends?” Bucky half-stated, half-asked, seeming to abruptly losing the confidence he’d had when he sat down.

“We’re acquaintances,” Steve corrected, glancing down as Girda gave a particularly vicious wriggle and nearly tipped the shopping bag over. He set it upright again, glancing to see if Bucky had noticed. He hadn’t. He was still staring at Steve and looking a bit like a kicked puppy. “Oh, come on,” Steve blurted, “you haven’t said more than ‘hi’ to me since ninth grade!”

“Th-that’s not true!” Bucky instantly argued. “I asked how you were just yesterday.”

Steve doesn’t have an argument to that because it’s true. He’s not entirely sure why he argued at all. He _wants_ to be friends with Bucky; wants to be much more than friends. 

Except that’s not true; Steve knows exactly why he argued. Because he doesn’t want Bucky to think he can just waltz back into Steve’s life like he never left. Like it never hurt watching his friend go about his life like he’d never needed Steve at all. It did. It tore him up inside, that all they were these days were 'hi's in the hallway.

“And I think I said ‘hey’,” Steve reluctantly conceded, “so you’ve got me there.”

“See? Totally friends,” Bucky declared, then sighed and slumped into the bus seat as the engine rumbled and they began moving. “Okay, look, I just haven’t really known how to…say more than ‘hi’ so, I kind of followed you onto your bus. I mean, what’s thirty minutes of forced conversation, right?”

Before Steve could answer, Girda heaved herself to the side, knocking the bag she was in to the side. Gasping in a sudden panic, Steve scrambled to gather her thick, muscular length back into the makeshift container before she could make good on this bid for escape.

“Steve,” Bucky said slowly, “why is… Is that Girda?”

“Shh,” Steve hissed, untwisting the python from his arm as fast as he could when fighting an eight foot long snake’s William Wallace moment. “You want people to freak?”

“Jesus,” Bucky said with a laugh as Steve got Girda to ball up back in the sack and tucked her between his legs again.

“Yeah,” Steve mumbled, “she’s my emergency.”

“Aw, come on,” Bucky nudged Steve’s shoulder with his own. “Tell me the story.”

“Story?” Steve repeated, looking up at Bucky once more.

“Yeah,” Bucky nodded, tousling his golden hair with a hand, “How’d you end up with that? Thought you and Mr. G were tight, what with him sponsoring your club and all.”

“Yeah, well,” Steve sighed, “some asshole thought it was cute to stick Girda with a cigarette last period. She needs to see a vet, and if Mr. G takes her, he can’t supervise the club and we’re finalizing the winter formal preparations so I volunteered to take her.”

“Of course you did.”

Steve narrowed his eyes, but Bucky was smiling again. It was soft, his lips curling up at the edges and Steve looked away only after he realized he was staring. Not that he imagined anyone would blame him, but if Bucky actually wanted to be friends again and that meant he couldn’t give Bucky’s friends a reason to give either of them crap. Steve was out at school, and though the teachers touted tolerance, the students weren’t always as accepting. 

“So, you’re taking Girda home and then to the vet?”

“Basically,” Steve agreed. “How were you planning on getting home?”

“Uh,” Bucky’s hand dropped lower to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. “I really hadn’t thought that far ahead. Just wanted to talk to you again, you know? Like old times.”

Steve huffed, both warmed and irritated by the sentiment.

“Well, I’m gonna borrow my mom’s car when I get home. I doubt she’ll mind if I drop you off, too.”

Instantly Bucky brightened, his eyes lighting up. His whole _face_ lighting up, beautiful and handsome. Steve had to swallow, eyes widening at the sight. God, but Bucky was a gorgeous man.

“You’d do that? Thanks, Stevie.”

“Well, I am apparently the reason you’re without a ride home,” Steve said, trying to ignore how that smile had made him feel, “so it’s the least I can do.”

“No,” Bucky argued, “the _least_ you can do is have a conversation with me. You’re gay now?”

Steve glared at Bucky, leaning away from him.

“ _Now_? No, Bucky, I’m not gay _now_. I’ve always been gay and it’s not the kind of thing that just goes away.”

“Hey, whoa,” Bucky held up his hands defensively, “I’m sorry; that came out wrong.”

“Damn right it did,” Steve snapped. “Is _that_ what you wanna talk about? How I knew I was gay? It’s pretty simple really. I looked at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and jacked off to having _him_ suck me off, not her.”

Bucky stared at him then slowly smiled.

“Well, at least now I know your type. Brad Pitt, huh?”

No, you, Steve thought but didn’t voice aloud.

“Yeah,” he snapped. “Brad fucking Pitt. Good conversation.”

For the first time, Bucky glared back. 

“I know people can be dicks, but I apologized. I just… You didn’t tell me. I found out through Gabe and it was… I just felt like I should have known.”

Steve frowned, eyeing his ex-best friend. 

“Why would I have gone to you? You, personally? Besides, that was two years ago. Why does it matter now?”

“It’s always mattered, Steve, and it’s not like you came to talk to me either. This was a fifty-fifty thing, okay? You can’t put it all on me because you _could_ have told me.”

Looking away, Steve crossed his arms and had to admit that Bucky was right. At any point in the last seven years, he could have gone to Bucky and tried to start their friendship up again. Especially after he’d gotten a car of his own. He hadn’t though, hadn't thought the popular jock would want to be around him any more. Especially not after the fiasco of his coming out. Bucky hadn’t acted any differently to him, but Steve had still been afraid of his rejection.

“Fine,” Steve said shortly, “I could have, but you’re,” Steve waved at Bucky, motioning to all of him, “ _you_ and I’m…no one. Then I was ‘the gay kid.’ I thought… I thought it would be easier to never know what you thought.”

Bucky sighed, tussling his hair with his hand again.

“What I think is just that. That I wish you’d have told me.”

Steve nodded, holding onto his own arms tighter as his foot tapped agitatedly against the floorboards.

“Okay, yeah, I’m sorry, but I don’t even know why it matters.”

Though Bucky didn’t look at him, he shifted closer and pressed his leg all along Steve’s.

“It matters,” he murmured.

The jolt that went through Steve made him warm all the way through. It set his heart beating wildly and his mind spinning to figure out if he was reading too much into this. He was so wrapped in his problems, he registered something thick wrapping about his ankle too late. Pressing his lips together, he tried to reach down and subtly pull Girda from his leg. The thing about an eight foot long snake is you can’t subtly make it do anything at all. The more of her Steve tried to control her, the more she tried to do whatever the hell she pleased. And what Girda pleased, was to climb out of the bag Steve had her in and use Steve as her personal taxi. Maybe she was cold and just wanted his body warmth, but he wasn’t sure she didn’t want an early dinner.

“Steve,” Bucky said slowly, “tell me that’s your hand.”

“I-it’s not.”

There was a reason Bucky was so good on the field and that was his reaction time. He stared at Steve for all of half a second before he was leaning over, tugging on Girda, and unwrapping her from _both_ their legs. The snake, all pure muscle, didn’t go easily. She kept twisting, curling about Bucky’s arm and their legs. Finally, after several long moments struggling against her strength, they got Girda back in the bag and Steve twisted the top back together. How she’d managed to untie it he wasn’t sure he’d ever know, but it wasn’t until the knot was in place did he realize that Bucky’s hands had been all over his legs and knees.

Flushing, Steve looked away with a mumbled, “Thanks.”

“What’re friends for?” Bucky answered. “Hey, come on,” he nudged Steve again when he didn’t turn around, “I was happy to help.”

Glancing at his friend, Steve sighed and faced him fully. 

“You really think we can be friends again?”

Bucky nodded, so easy, as if it could really be that simple. Somehow, they would just pick up the pieces like they’d never been scattered between them. God, but Steve wanted that to be true. If he was being honest, he couldn’t blame the state of their friendship solely on Bucky even though that would be the simplest thing to do.

“We’re making a good start now,” Bucky answered. “Though, maybe we could be…more than friends?”

No matter how many times he replayed the question in his head, Steve couldn’t find another way to take those words. Bucky was asking him out. Yet it was too surreal to be true. Nothing Steve had wanted this badly had ever been offered to him on a silver platter.

“I…” Steve stammered, “but you’re not… _out_.” 

Whispering the last word, Steve watched Bucky and saw his eyes crinkle at the corners before he began to smile. 

“I thought about that before I sat down here,” Bucky confessed. “I’ve already told my parents, my coach. I’m, uh,” Bucky laughed breathlessly, “kinda terrified, but I’ve wanted to ask you out for ages, and now? Now I can take you to that dance you’re helping plan. You know, if…you want me to.”

Feeling like his eyes were going to bug out of his skull, Steve blurted, “Yes. Let’s - yes. That. Let’s do that.”

Laughing, Bucky grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed tightly.

“And just think,” he murmured, leaning in close enough his breath fanned Steve’s cheek, “when people ask how we got together, we can tell them it’s all thanks to Girda.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Follow Cleo on Tumblr ](http://cleo4u2.tumblr.com/)


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